Friday, August 5, 2011

first of hopefully many blurbs to come- "She's my sister."

It has been TOO long since I've made a written record of the developments of Caroline Grace As I read and take notes and prep for the biggest exams of my life I keep thinking of things I should get on this blog. SO, trying something new today. In a break between books, I'm going to write up one recent moment/story... hope I can do this a bit every day until I'm more or less caught up! I don't want to forget...

Yesterday was an election day in Nashville. We dropped Kev off at a meeting and then Caroline and I headed to our polling place, a Baptist church about a mile from home. I (shamefully) admit that I was a fairly uninformed voter this time around. I did a bit of research on the candidates for my district's council seat and had made my choice before arriving, but I didn't realize I'd have to pick 5 (!) at-large reps... first five on the list got my vote. Sigh. And I didn't know there was a proposition on the ballot. And I didn't know anything about any of the challengers to the mayor so the incumbent got my vote. Anyhow... this is not the forum for confessions of my democratic delinquence, but thanks for allowing me to get that off my chest. Anyhow... when we arrived at the polling place I said to Caroline "Would you like to help mommy vote?" She shouted "YES!" from the back seat. Not that she knows what voting is... She wanted to bring her little notebook, but leave her bag of almonds behind.

As we came to the corner we needed to turn to get to the proper entrance for voting, we encountered an older African American woman holding a sign for the candidate I had decided I wanted to vote for before arriving. It turned out she is his mother! Caroline took to her immediately and started babbling away about this and that, showing offer her bracelet, and her notebook. The woman, who had been outside in excruciating heat on behalf of her son ALL day (nearly 12 hours at that point) was absolutely tickled by Caroline. As we walked away, Caroline looked back at her and then at me and said "She's my sister!" I turned back and said "Ma'am, Caroline has declared that you are her sister." She gasped, "Well, that's wonderful!" She said, "I'm honored. I'd love for her to be my sister. What am I saying? She is my sister. We're one. You said it, child! You know! " I said "Are you a Christian, ma'am?" She said, "Why yes, I most certainly am! And so is my son!" "Well, then, we truly are sisters in Christ." "Thank you Jesus, yes we are!" (I love however, that she affirmed universal human siblinghood regardless of faith... I would never want to take that premise away from her... she knows something of Christ's intentions surely!!!!)

As we were leaving she delighted in Caroline some more... and said "Out of the mouths of babes... we are sisters indeed."